Scientists Develop "Earthquake-Proof" Concrete

Scientists Develop "Earthquake-Proof" Concrete

RESEARCHERS at the University of British Columbia (UCB) in Vancouver have developed "earthquake-proof" fibre-reinforced concrete, as seen in this video.

Named EDCC - short for eco-friendly ductile cementitious composite - the material doesn’t fracture, but bends and takes stresses under pressure. It is
designed to be sprayed onto existing masonry construction to form a seismically-protective layer.

Above: The new material was put through rigorous testing at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Below: EDCC
being applied to a masonry wall (images courtesy of UBC).

Having withstood an earthquake, structures treated with EDCC would need to be structurally assessed by engineers before any potential re-use or occupation.

Above: A large part of the cement has been replaced with flay ash in order to reduce its carbon footprint (image courtesy of UBC).

Nearly 70% of the cement in the material has been replaced with fly ash, an industrial by-product arising from burning coal.

UBC civil engineering professor Nemy Banthia believes the material is an important step in trying to reduce the carbon footprint of the cement industry,
which is responsible for almost 7% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.